Page 13 | How did you keep babies warm years ago?

GarlicCrackers · 2022-08-26T23:01:49+00:00

Posting here for traffic and visibility. Also maybe a slight AIBU for being totally ignorant and naive!! I am due my second child in Feb, due to recent events with my dearest wanker of a half - I am now single and my first thought was, well I better reduce the energy bill if I want to financially survive. I am 33 so have never lived without central heating and modern amenities. Sat down, looked at electrics, you know vampire devices, plugs that get left on. Moved on to heating. I like being cool, I dislike the heat so I think well hot water bottle at night and wear my oodie during the day. Heating off at night and we will all be fine. Will have the dogs upstairs and we can all share heat. and then I remember….I’m pregnant, I’m due a baby in cold cold February. Babies can’t regulate heat they are tiny. How did we keep babies warm before CH? I have grobags and blankets. Can they have hot water bottles? I can’t afford heating on all night but dear god will I get into energy debt if that’s my only choice I know this sounds stupid, I just realised I have no idea. I see people talk about how no heating = constant chest infections etc

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 27/08/2022 18:15

Oldcottoneye · 27/08/2022 17:59

There's a strange phenomenon that I've witnessed many times over here which struck fear into my heart when I first saw it and it's people with blankets over the pram, so not a blanket on the baby, the hood of the pram is up and a blanket draped from the hood over the baby if you get me? I'd have an awful fear of the baby struggling to breathe but it seems to be a done thing. I don't know why it's done as it's not necessarily limited to cold weather. I've concluded that it's maybe the equivalent of putting a towel over a budgie's cage or something.

Dangerous and really dangerous in warm weather when it's done to block the sun.

dockspider · 27/08/2022 18:16

antelopevalley · 27/08/2022 15:13

Yes you should sleep without a duvet and just have warm clothes. But it will be hard to keep yourself warm enough using this approach.

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I used to wear a thermal vest for feeding, a cardie and cover myself with several cellular blankets… it was okay but as I said upthread, I do like the cold!

HideTheCroissants · 27/08/2022 18:18

Oldcottoneye · 27/08/2022 17:59

There's a strange phenomenon that I've witnessed many times over here which struck fear into my heart when I first saw it and it's people with blankets over the pram, so not a blanket on the baby, the hood of the pram is up and a blanket draped from the hood over the baby if you get me? I'd have an awful fear of the baby struggling to breathe but it seems to be a done thing. I don't know why it's done as it's not necessarily limited to cold weather. I've concluded that it's maybe the equivalent of putting a towel over a budgie's cage or something.

I asked my niece why she did this ^. She told me it was to “make sure no paedos look at [the baby]”. She was horrified when I showed her an article about how hot it got in a buggy enclosed by a muslin and stopped doing it.

Greengagesnfennel · 27/08/2022 18:35

We didn't have heating on overnight.

Those sleeping bags that are like an item of clothing are good as they can't fall off. And a baby grow with the mitten ends over their hands.

It's their heads that get cold so you need a really good baby sleep hat that stays on. The ones they have in the hospital are great for this.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 27/08/2022 18:40

Greengagesnfennel · 27/08/2022 18:35

We didn't have heating on overnight.

Those sleeping bags that are like an item of clothing are good as they can't fall off. And a baby grow with the mitten ends over their hands.

It's their heads that get cold so you need a really good baby sleep hat that stays on. The ones they have in the hospital are great for this.

Hats are not recommended as not safe for use other than outside.

LabiaMinoraPissusFlapus · 27/08/2022 18:40

I bed shared. My eldest is 16 so not from the dark ages, but we didn't have central heating and the house was very cold. He was born at home and soon started grunting (sign of being cold) so I brought him into my bed and then he stayed there for two years!

Qazwsxefv · 27/08/2022 18:40

You are not going to “freeze” at 18 or 16 degrees - to freeze you need to be 0c, however assuming you mean hypothermia rather than literal freezing that’s not going to happen until about 10degrees at the most. A vest, thick babygrow and two blankets will be adequate to keep anyone warm at 18 degrees even a baby. At 14 a fleece babygro and a baby sleeping bag will be more comfy.

duvets and sleeping bags have different tog ratings for a reason btw - the extra thermal effect of having the bottom layer and the bag zipped up is considerable - adult sleeping bags are a lower tog than adult duvets unless your using one designed for sun zero temps

BertieBotts · 27/08/2022 18:59

I don't think they mean either literal freezing nor hypothermia. They just mean they will be uncomfortable.

EtnaVesuvius · 27/08/2022 19:03

Oldcottoneye · 27/08/2022 14:49

You're about the 100th person who has asked about this. CLEARLY, I meant, WITHOUT ADEQUATE CLOTHING AND BEDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jesus! My point was, that if the room is cold i.e. 16 degrees, a baby needs ADEQUATE CLOTHING AND BEDDING AND YES, A LITTLE HAT!!!!!!!

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AGAIN. Please don’t put a hat on a baby at night. Especially if it’s 16 degrees.

EtnaVesuvius · 27/08/2022 19:06

Oldcottoneye · 27/08/2022 15:59

I wear a hat in bed!

Presumably you’re an adult.

You can regulate your temperature and would be able to take it off if you got too hot.

Good God.

EtnaVesuvius · 27/08/2022 19:07

Mostmarriedcouple · 27/08/2022 16:18

Real sheepskin fur is amazing for holding heat. I put a hotwater bottle under my sheepskin rug and it’s still hot the next day. Perhaps you can make her a hotwater bottle with a sheepskin fur cover and a sheepskin fur blanket.

OH MY GOD!

Where do you live? Greenland?

A baby should never, ever have a hot water bottle.

Aretheyhavingalaugh · 27/08/2022 19:14

Babies shouldn't even wear hats indoors, let alone to bed.

Outfoxedbyrabbits · 27/08/2022 19:16

My aunt on I think day 5, gently told me, her little hands are freezing, she can't sleep because she's too cold.

I've only read this far so apologies if this has already been picked up on but you shouldn't use a baby's extremities (hands or feet) as a guide to their core body temperature (you should stick a hand down their top and feel their torso instead). Babies often have cold extremities when they're actually perfectly well warm enough. The main danger to babies, especially little ones, comes from overheating. A baby who is cold will alert you to it (they will cry) whereas a baby who is too hot may be too drowsy to alert.

Runaway1 · 27/08/2022 19:21

The Grobag website has a great chart with temperature and what baby should wear at night. I found it really helpful as our house gets cold overnight.

Oldcottoneye · 27/08/2022 19:24

Greengagesnfennel · 27/08/2022 18:35

We didn't have heating on overnight.

Those sleeping bags that are like an item of clothing are good as they can't fall off. And a baby grow with the mitten ends over their hands.

It's their heads that get cold so you need a really good baby sleep hat that stays on. The ones they have in the hospital are great for this.

Jesus don't mention a hat!

Oldcottoneye · 27/08/2022 19:26

Outfoxedbyrabbits · 27/08/2022 19:16

My aunt on I think day 5, gently told me, her little hands are freezing, she can't sleep because she's too cold.

I've only read this far so apologies if this has already been picked up on but you shouldn't use a baby's extremities (hands or feet) as a guide to their core body temperature (you should stick a hand down their top and feel their torso instead). Babies often have cold extremities when they're actually perfectly well warm enough. The main danger to babies, especially little ones, comes from overheating. A baby who is cold will alert you to it (they will cry) whereas a baby who is too hot may be too drowsy to alert.

It's been covered in great detail and I told my aunt that she hadn't a clue. My baby's hands were blue.

MinervaTerrathorn · 27/08/2022 19:28

I find the Australian sleep guidelines quite detailed. I know it's a warmer climate but often single digits inside in Sydney winters.
rednose.org.au/article/room-temperature
A good way to check baby’s temperature is to feel the baby’s back or tummy, which should feel warm (don’t worry if baby’s hands and feet feel cool, this is normal).

ancientgran · 27/08/2022 19:29

In the 1950s, when i was blue lighted to hospital with breathing problems, more than 30 babies in every 1000 didn't live to celebrate their first birthday. Today just over 3 babies in every 1000 babies won't live to celebrate their first birthday.

Better housing, less damp, better heating all play a part in this, I don't know how big a part but babies died in cold damp houses before we had central heating. Not all of them, I mean roughly 970 lived. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all 1000 lived to celebrate their first birthday but in the meantime we can be happy that roughly 27 extra babies in every 1000 babies born this year will get to that celebration.

I was lucky, I was one of the 970 who survived a cold, damp, overcrowded house. RIP the 30 who didn't.

MinervaTerrathorn · 27/08/2022 19:30

Oh and hats.
Babies regulate their temperature primarily through their head, particularly their face. In a heavily wrapped baby, 85% of total heat loss is through the face.11 If this normal method of heat loss is restricted by bedding covering the face, wearing a bonnet, hat, hood or beanie or tummy sleeping (partial face covering by mattress and/or bedding), there is a significantly increased chance for thermal stress to occur.

ancientgran · 27/08/2022 19:31

Runaway1 · 27/08/2022 19:21

The Grobag website has a great chart with temperature and what baby should wear at night. I found it really helpful as our house gets cold overnight.

Yes houses vary. Something that most on here don't seem to have grasped. I mean the fact that they have a house that stays warm all night doesn't mean that everyone does.

ancientgran · 27/08/2022 19:34

Outfoxedbyrabbits · 27/08/2022 19:16

My aunt on I think day 5, gently told me, her little hands are freezing, she can't sleep because she's too cold.

I've only read this far so apologies if this has already been picked up on but you shouldn't use a baby's extremities (hands or feet) as a guide to their core body temperature (you should stick a hand down their top and feel their torso instead). Babies often have cold extremities when they're actually perfectly well warm enough. The main danger to babies, especially little ones, comes from overheating. A baby who is cold will alert you to it (they will cry) whereas a baby who is too hot may be too drowsy to alert.

If a baby is cold and lethargic and unresponsive it is a dangerous sign. It isn't just heat that kills.

Xenia · 27/08/2022 19:36

I don't think anyone I know has heating on over night now or in the past. Do people do that? I sleep with the window open winter and summer and it's fine and babies are fine. yes it is cold at night but you just pull the covers over you and it's fine.

On the question of during the day and babies before central heating my parents only got it when I was about 5. My father got up early to put one or two fires on and you just spent less time in a bed room and more in the room with the fire. It could be pretty cold. My mother was away at college in the very very cold winter of 1947 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_of_1946%E2%80%9347_in_the_United_Kingdom. However the fact people get very very cold in the past does not mean that is in any way desirable now.People used to go warmer places - I remember in the winters in the NE lots of people in the public library just to get warmer int he day and librarians moving some of them out after a reasonable period - lots of tramps went in there and it could be hard to get a seat or access to the newspapers as they hogged them all.

Q2C4 · 27/08/2022 19:50

All the pp saying they had never heard of having the heating on at night - how did you avoid frozen pipes? I was always told to put the heating on low overnight to avoid this...

MinervaTerrathorn · 27/08/2022 19:58

Q2C4 · 27/08/2022 19:50

All the pp saying they had never heard of having the heating on at night - how did you avoid frozen pipes? I was always told to put the heating on low overnight to avoid this...

Heating on at 16 a few hours a day seems to stop it dropping too low overnight in my house. If I went away midwinter I'd leave heating on to some degree though.

Oldcottoneye · 27/08/2022 20:03

Q2C4 · 27/08/2022 19:50

All the pp saying they had never heard of having the heating on at night - how did you avoid frozen pipes? I was always told to put the heating on low overnight to avoid this...

Only a concern when the temperature is going to drop to 0